A Hotel For Backpackers With Shared Bedrooms Inside Shipping Containers

Every hotel has its own target audience and while most are meant to comfortably accommodate families and couples, there’s one that’s specifically designed to appeal to backpackers. The Ccasa Hostel is located in Nha Trang in Vietnam and was completed in 2016 by TAK Architects. The idea behind it was to connect people around the world by encouraging them to be free and to travel but especially to meet new people and to interact with them in a cozy environment.

View in galleryAs the name suggests, this is not a typical hotel/hostel. It’s a retreat meant to be a home away from home for travelersView in galleryYou can see that this a special hotel right from the entrance which leads into this abstract multifunctional spaceView in galleryThere’s a shared open space which can be enjoyed by all the guests and which is reminiscent of a family room

While the concept is definitely interesting, it’s not the only thing that inspired us to talk about this hotel today. We’re actually particularly interested in the design, more exactly in the materials and styles featured throughout the project. You’ll notice in the following images that a part of the hotel is made up of repurposed shipping containers. It’s important to understand how the structure is organized before we get into all the details.

View in galleryThere are many interesting design elements worthy of mention, such as this wall made of lots of reclaimed shuttersView in galleryVarious other things have been reclaimed and repurposed throughout this unusual hostelView in galleryThe common area is bright, full of natural light and has a very open and modular feel

Ccasa Hostel is organized into three blocks, each with its function and design. One is the serving block where the cooking and dining facilities are gathered together. This area has a steel frame and is clad in black painted metal sheets. Another block is dedicated to the sleeping areas and this is the part of the hotel that is made of shipping containers. The third block houses the bathrooms and the wet areas in general and has walls of white-painted brick and concrete.

View in gallerySeveral different materials were combined in this project, some old, some new and some completely unexpectedView in galleryThe property is organized into three main blocks and the contrasts between them are quite strongView in galleryThe common area includes this fresh dining space, a kitchen and a lounge space which includes a terrace

All three blocks meet in a common area which has a very open and breezy ambiance. This zone contains what a regular house would call living spaces. It’s where guests can lounge and relax together. The space includes a very quirky and fun lounge terrace if we could call like that. It’s a sort of platform with a big part of hammock flooring. Here guests can come to read, chat or simply meditate and look down to see what everyone else is doing.

View in galleryThe three colorful containers form the sleeping block and contain the bedroomsView in galleryOne of the coolest areas is this terrace which has a floor hammock section that’s most enjoyableView in galleryEach container has been painted in a bold color which contrasts with the other two

The sleeping block is perhaps the most unusual of all. It’s built out of three old shipping containers, each painted in a bold color. Together they form a red, blue and yellow trio, each container incorporating several separate bedrooms, each with a separate entrance which is basically a small bridge that opens onto the shared area and brings guests closer to nature and to everyone else in a cool and casual manner.

View in galleryEach bedroom area is entered via a small bridge attached to a large platform that lets lots of sunlight inView in galleryOne of the most unexpected details is the close connection with nature. Notice all the greens and trees growing throughout the spacesView in galleryIn addition to all the vegetation that’s part of the interior decor, there are also large openings which brings fresh views insideView in galleryThe contrast between nature and the building is very strong but at the same time the connection between them is very close

Surprisingly, there’s a very strong connection between this unusual hotel and nature. That’s possible because of the unique layout and the distribution of the functions. The common areas are particularly important in this case as they basically welcome nature inside, letting trees and vegetation growing all around them. Speaking of this, we should also mention that there’s a very striking contrast between the sleeping block and the other two, especially the common zone.

View in galleryA multitude of materials, finishes, colors and influences were put together in this unusual projectView in galleryPatterned tiles and concrete are used as flooring on most of the surfaces, with a few exceptionsView in galleryThe bedrooms are exceptionally small and simple and they’re intentionally reduced to the bare minimum

The architects and the clients wanted this project to appeal mostly to the social nature of humans and this was translated into design in the form of a shared space expanded to maximum and with a very welcoming decor and ambiance while the private area containing the bedrooms was reduced to minimum. The bedrooms are very small and include several beds in one suite. You can see six bunk beds neatly packed in this tiny space.

View in galleryInside the bedroom there are bunk beds and very little floor space to spare, just enough to move aroundView in galleryEach individual sleeping area has curtains for privacy and the idea of the bunk beds is to bring people together

This minimal approach when it comes to the bedrooms emphasizes the fact that this is a hotel for backpackers, for persons who don’t carry a lot of baggage with them and who don’t mind but actually enjoy sharing their space with others and meeting new people. In other words, it’s all about sharing.

View in galleryAs you can see, the accent is not necessarily on comfort but rather on the overall ambiance and on social interactionView in galleryThe bathrooms are shared spaces too, featuring multiple sinks and mirrors and these charming brick walls

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